The present invention relates to powder dispensers and is concerned in particular with powdered baby milk dispensing spoons.
The conventional practice is for manufacturers of powdered baby milk to supply within the packaging box/tin/packet for the powdered baby milk, a plastics milk/powder dispensing spoon. Such spoons usually comprise a flat handle coupled to one end to a generally hemispherical or cylindrical scoop. In use, the spoon is inserted into the mass of powder such that the scoop is overfilled, ie. the mass of powder extends above the level of the mouth of the scoop when the spoon is held horizontally. A convenient edge, usually a knife edge, is then run along the handle and over the mouth of the scoop so as to remove the excess powder and leave the scoop filled exactly to the brim. The spoon is then inverted over the feeling bottle and, if necessary, tapped on the rim, so as to allow the powder to fall into the bottle. This procedure is repeated as necessary, for example up to five times, so as to introduce the correct amount of powdered milk into the feeding bottle.
One practical problem associated with the conventional spoon is therefore that it relies on the user having an appropriate knife edge handy when milk powder is to be dispersed.
A second practical problem is that the use of the known spoon requires the user to have two hands free, one to hold the spoon and the other to hold and manipulate the knife edge for removing the excess powder from the scoop necessary to be sure of accurately dispensing xe2x80x9cone scoopfulxe2x80x9d. It would often be very useful if the spoon could dispense using one hand only; this would enable the other hand/arm to be used for a completely different purpose, for example to hold the baby.
The latter problems can be overcome by using a dispensing spoon as described in our earlier UK Application No. GB-A-2331289 which comprises a handle having a scoop at one end and a powder levelling means coupled to the handle which can be displaced manually for levelling off the scoop contents.
In some embodiments described in GB-A-2331289, the powder levelling means may be adapted to be pivotally mounted on the handle so that it can sweep over the mouth of the scoop for levelling purposes. For example, the handle can be generally elongate and flat and the powder levelling means can comprise a blade device which is pivotally mounted on the handle adjacent its end opposite to the scoop so as to be capable of sweeping over the mouth of the scoop in a plane generally parallel to the handle.
In other embodiments, the powder levelling means may be flexibly coupled to the end of the handle remote from the scoop such that the levelling means can sweep over the mouth of the scoop for levelling purposes. The levelling means in this case may be formed integrally with the handle and have a portion which normally lies to one side of the scoop mouth but which, by virtue of said flexible coupling with the handle, can be displaced relative to the handle so as to sweep over the scoop mouth for levelling purposes. A similar levelling arrangement is known also from GB-A-2310196.
A practical problem with all of the latter spoons is that the user still has to remember how many spoonfuls have been dispensed. This can be particularly difficult if the dispensing operation is interrupted for some reason, as often happens when attending to young babies, and one has to remember how many spoonfuls have already been dispensed when the bottle filling operation is resumed.
It has already been proposed to provide a counter on the spoon in the form of a finger-operated counting wheel. The intention is that one manually moves the counter on one digit each time a spoonful is dispensed. This, however, still has the disadvantages that one has to remember to operate the wheel each time.
It has also been proposed already in U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,523 to provide a scoop having a counter which is indexed automatically each time a levelling operation of the spoon is performed. The scoop of U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,523 comprises a scooping cup with a handle and a pusher that can slide to and fro longitudinally on the handle of the scoop. On the front end of the pusher there is provided a cover ring and on the rear end of the pusher is a top plate. At the end of the handle of the scooping cup is fitted a housing that comprises a left casing and a right casing. On each casing there is a window and inside the casing is fitted a counter ratchet. A digit frame in a ring arrangement is attached to both sides of the counter ratchet. On the lower part of the housing is an opening so a toothed side of the counter ratchet is exposed to facilitate resetting adjustment. Also in the housing and at the toothed side of the counter ratchet is a flexible fixing plate to fix the counter ratchet. In operation, the pusher is slid across the scooping cup so that where the cover ring at the front end of the pusher levels the powder material in the scooping cup to obtain a constant quantity of powder material. When the pusher is slid back, the top plate at the rear of the pusher pushes and turns the counter ratchet which then turns the next digital of the digit frame.
One practical problem with the scoop of U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,523 is that the counter can only be read from below and must therefore be inverted to enable the current count to be observed. In practice, it would be advantageous to be able to read the counter when the scoop was full. The scoop of U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,523 is also relatively complex construction and it would be advantageous for a simpler construction to be available in order to keep down the cost of what is often a xe2x80x9cgive-awayxe2x80x9d product where minimal cost is essential.
It has also been proposed already in our own UK Patent Application No. GB-A-2331979 to provide a scoop/spoon having a counter which can be read from above the spoon and which is advanced each time that a levelling operation of the spoon is performed. In GB-A-2331979 it was envisaged that, where the powder levelling means comprises a wiper part adapted to be swept over a month part of the scoop, the counter would comprise a counter wheel carrying a plurality of numbers, the counter wheel being arranged to be rotated by an angular distance corresponding to one number when the wiper part is moved towards the scoop month. The counter wheel would be operated by a ratchet arrangement whereby it is angularly advanced when the wiper part is moved towards the scoop mouth but is not moved when the wiper part is moved away from the scoop mouth, the counter wheel being journalled on the handle part of the spoon and being adapted to be engaged and actuated by a projection on the wiper part when the wiper part is moved towards the levelled off condition.
However, it has proven to be difficult to make the latter mechanism work in practice and it has been realised that it would be preferable mechanically for the counter to be carried by the wiper part rather than by the handle. A first objective is therefore to achieve such a arrangement.
A second objective of the present invention is to provide a more effective means of achieving a scoop with a built-in counter which is of simplified construction compared to the scoop of U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,523 and which enables the counter to be read from above with the scoop full.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a dispensing spoon comprising a handle, a scoop having an open mouth formed at one end of the handle, a powder levelling means in the form of a wiper part which is coupled integrally and flexibly to an opposite end of the handle remote from the scoop and which can be displaced manually in a sweep plane so as to sweep laterally over the mouth of the scoop for powder levelling purposes, and a counter which is automatically advanced by operation of the powder levelling means, the counter including a counter disc carrying a plurality of numbers around its surface and being arranged to be indexed to a next number when the wiper part is displaced to sweep over the scoop mouth to perform a powder levelling operation, wherein the counter disc is journelled on one of the wiper part and handle for rotation in a plane parallel to the sweep plane of the wiper part so that the numbers are displayed upwardly in an orientation of the spoon where the open mouth itself faces upwardly.
Preferably, the counter discs is journalled on the wiper part and carries on its underside a ratchet wheel having a plurality of teeth, the handle part carrying a laterally flexible pusher member which is positioned to engage and advance the ratchet wheel, and hence the counted disc, by one digit when the wiper part is displaced relative to the handle to perform a powder levelling action, and the wiper part carrying a laterally flexible ratchet member which engages the ratchet part to control its rotation.
Advantageously, the counter includes a base portion formed integrally with the wiper part and has a recess within which said counter disc is received, there being disposed within said recess a plurality of upstanding flexible lugs which together define a journal bearing for the counter wheel.
Preferably, the open mouth of the scoop is circular and the wiper part includes a substantially semi-circular portion which normally lies closely to one side of said open mouth but which, by virture of said flexible coupling with the handle, can be displaced angularly relative to the handle so as to sweep over the mouth for powder levelling purposes.
Preferably, the spoon includes an upstanding fixed spigot on the handle which engages normally with the wiper part, when the wiper part is non-actuated, to hold the wiper part in a position where said semi-circular portion lies closely to one side of said open mouth.